Why is Pete Hegseth's wife Jennifer Rauchet under fire for Signal chat leak controversy?
Who is Jennifer Rauchet?
Live Events
Jennifer Rauchet's controversies
(You can now subscribe to our
(You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth 's wife Jennifer Rauchet is in the eye of a political storm after being included in a private Signal group chat where Hegseth reportedly shared sensitive details about a US military strike in Yemen. Hegseth is in hot water for reportedly adding his wife Jennifer Rauchet, brother Phil, and personal attorney Tim Parlatore, to a second Signal group where details about upcoming military strikes aimed at the Houthis were discussed, according to the New York Times.Although a US official told the Times that Hegseth did not disclose any classified information in the second group chat—allegedly accessed by the defense secretary on his personal phone—Democrats are already calling for his resignation. The controversy comes nearly a month after he was embroiled in the first Signal chat leak, where in The Atlantic editor-in-chief was 'accidentally' added, wherein Hegseth and other top officials in the Trump administration, including VP JD Vance, reportedly discussed the same war plans.Not just Pete Hegseth, his wife Jennifer is also facing the heat in the second Signal chat leak. Here's everything you need to know about Pete Hegseth's wife Jennifer Rauchet.A media professional, Jennifer Rauchet graduated from Towson University with a degree in journalism. Best known for her work as a producer at Fox News, she contributed to programs like Fox & Friends Weekend.Pete Hegseth and Jennifer met at Fox News while working for the news network and got married in 2019. Pete Hegseth was a former co-host of the same show. The two tied the knot at Trump National Golf Club in Colts Neck, New Jersey, wearing red 'Make Weddings Great Again' hats in a nod to Donald Trump's MAGA slogan.Hegseth often refers to Rauchet as his 'rock' and the pair often gush about one another on their social media accounts. 'I've missed him, but great to watch my husband visiting friends on the other side of the world,' Rauchet wrote about Hegseth in an Instagram post three weeks ago. 'He loves this country and all the men and women who serve it everywhere.''Grateful to have my incredible wife @jennycdot by my side for our first international trip,' Hegseth wrote about his wife ahead of his first overseas trip since being sworn into office.Jennifer Rauchet is Pete Hegseth's third wife. He was previously married to Meredith Schwarz (2004-2009), and Samantha Deering (2010-2017).The couple shares a 7-year-old daughter named Gwen. Additionally, each has three children from previous relationships. While Rauchet generally maintains a low public profile, she openly expresses her admiration for Hegseth.Although Jennifer Rauchet holds no official government position, her role in defense matters extends well beyond private Signal conversations. According to The Wall Street Journal, she attended two high-level meetings with foreign military officials.She was said to have been present at a March 6 meeting at the Pentagon with Britain's Secretary of Defence John Healy and Admiral Tony Radakin, head of the U.K. armed forces. The meeting came at an especially sensitive moment — the day after the U.S. said it had cut off military intelligence sharing with Ukraine — and discussions included the rationale for the decision and future military collaboration.The defense secretary's wife was also at a meeting in February at the headquarters of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in Brussels, the Journal reports, citing two people who attended. It is not known if her presence had an impact on what was discussed at either meeting.Moreover, Rauchet stood by Hegseth ahead of his turbulent Senate confirmation process, where he was grilled over allegations of a sexual assault dating back to 2017. He denies the allegation and insists the encounter was consensual.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
13 minutes ago
- Time of India
Trump & Melania Face Boos In Dc: 'Les Misérables' Night At Kennedy Center Sparks Uproar
What was meant to be a classy evening at the Kennedy Center turned chaotic as President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania were met with a chorus of boos during their arrival at the Les Misérables performance. As the presidential couple made their entrance in full glam, the crowd's disapproval echoed through the venue. While MAGA supporters quickly tried to cover it up with loud 'USA' chants, the moment was already recorded and rapidly went viral across social media. Internet reactions exploded, critics hailed it as 'America booing back,' while Trump loyalists claimed the audio was manipulated or even AI-generated. The political divide was on full display, turning a cultural night into a digital battleground.
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
17 minutes ago
- Business Standard
Trump booed, cheered at Kennedy Center while attending 'Les Miserables'
Trump walked the red carpet with the first lady when they arrived at the Kennedy Center, which he's been remaking in his image while excising what he describes as liberal ideology AP Washington The drama in the audience rivalled the spectacle on stage on Wednesday at the Kennedy Center, where President Donald Trump went to the opening night of Les Miserables as he tightens his grip on the venerable performing arts institution. It was his first time attending a show there since his election, and he was booed and cheered as he took his seat alongside first lady Melania Trump. Near the end of the intermission, someone loudly cursed his name, drawing applause. Several drag queens were in the crowd, their presence a protest against Trump's complaints that the Kennedy Center had hosted too many drag shows in the past. Despite the condemnation, the event had a MAGA-does-Broadway feel. Ric Grenell, the Trump-appointed interim leader of the Kennedy Center, was there, as were Vice President JD Vance and his wife, Usha. Before the show began, Attorney General Pam Bondi chatted with guests and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. took selfies. Laura Loomer, the conspiracy theorist who has advised Trump on personnel decisions, posted a video from a seat near the stage. Trump walked the red carpet with the first lady when they arrived at the Kennedy Center, which he's been remaking in his image while excising what he describes as liberal ideology. We want to bring it back, and we want to bring it back better than ever, Trump said. The Republican president has a particular affection for Les Miserables, the sprawling musical set in 19th-century France, and has occasionally played its songs at his events. One of them, Do You Hear the People Sing?, is a revolutionary rallying cry inspired by the 1832 rebellion against the French king. The three-hour production featured singing and dancing, with the sounds of explosions and gunfire filling the theatre as protesters and soldiers clashed on stage. For Trump's critics, it was an unnerving echo of what's unfolding in Los Angeles, where Trump has deployed National Guard troops in response to protests over his deportation policies. Someone explain the plot to him," California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, wrote on social media. Terry Gee, a bartender, bought his ticket for the show in November and didn't mind Trump's presence. It's his sixth time seeing Les Miserables, and he said, I'm going to enjoy the show regardless." Hannah Watkins, a nurse, only learned that Trump would be there when the Kennedy Center distributed information about extra security and she searched online to see what was happening. I've seen a lot of famous people so far, which is exciting, said Watkins, who had claimed a spot near the VIP entrance with her mother. Honestly, we just like Les Mis' and are excited to be here. Before Trump, presidential involvement in the Kennedy Center's affairs had been limited to naming members to the board of trustees and attending the taping of its annual honours programme in the fall. But after returning to office in January, Trump stunned the arts world by firing the Kennedy Center's longtime director and board and replacing them with loyalists, who then named him as chairman. Trump promised to overhaul its programming, management and even appearance as part of an effort to put his stamp on the national arts scene. His latest moves have upset some of the centre's patrons and performers. In March, the audience booed the Vances after they slipped into upper-level seats to hear the National Symphony Orchestra. Trump appointed Usha Vance to the Kennedy Center board along with Bondi, White House chief of staff Susie Wiles and Fox News Channel hosts Maria Bartiromo and Laura Ingraham, among other supporters. Sales of subscription packages are said to have declined since Trump's takeover, and several touring productions, including Hamilton, have cancelled planned runs at the centre. Actor Issa Rae and musician Rhiannon Giddens scrapped scheduled appearances, and Kennedy Center consultants including musician Ben Folds and singer Renee Fleming resigned. Understudies may have performed in some roles Wednesday night because of boycotts by Les Miserables cast members, but Trump said he wasn't bothered by anyone skipping the performance. I couldn't care less, he said. Since returning to the White House in January, Trump has adopted a more aggressive posture toward the arts. The White House has taken steps to cancel millions of dollars in previously awarded federal humanities grants to arts and culture groups, and Trump's budget blueprint proposed eliminating the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities. Trump has also targeted Smithsonian museums by signing executive orders to restrict their funding and by attempting to fire the director of the National Portrait Gallery. The president characterised previous programming at the Kennedy Center as out of control with rampant political propaganda and said it featured some very inappropriate shows, including a Marxist anti-police performance and lesbian-only Shakespeare. The Kennedy Center, which is supported by government money and private donations, opened in 1971 and for decades has been seen as an apolitical celebration of the arts. It was first conceived in the late 1950s during the administration of Republican President Dwight Eisenhower, who backed a bill from the Democratic-led Congress calling for a National Culture Center. In the early 1960s, Democratic President John F. Kennedy launched a fundraising initiative, and his successor, President Lyndon B. Johnson, signed into law a 1964 bill renaming the project the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts. Kennedy had been assassinated the year before.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Terror funding case: HC dismisses bail plea of Kashmiri separatist leader Shabir Shah
Live Events (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel The Delhi High Court on Thursday dismissed a plea by Kashmiri separatist leader Shabir Ahmad Shah seeking bail in a terror funding case A bench of Justices Navin Chawla and Shalinder Kaur pronounced the verdict while rejecting Shah's appeal challenging a trial court 's July 7, 2023 order refusing to grant him bail."The present appeal is dismissed," the bench detailed order is high court in August 2023 sought response of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Shah's counsel has sought bail on behalf of the appellant on the grounds that "it was a no material case".In his 2023 appeal assailing the trial court order rejecting his bail application, the appellant said he has been in custody for four years and the trial would take a long time to conclude."The impugned order of the additional sessions judge is contrary to law weight of evidence and probabilities of the case. The appellant has been languishing in jail in the present case for four years, with over 400 witnesses to be examined and only 15 witnesses having been examined till date in over 4 years," the appeal 2017, NIA had registered a case against 12 persons for allegations of conspiracy for raising and collecting funds for causing disruption by way of pelting stones, damaging public property and conspiring to wage war against the government of was arrested in the case on June 4, March 2022, the trial court framed charges against the appellant for allegedly conspiring to raise and collect funds for causing disruption and conspiring to wage war against the government of India.
